Provence

A patchwork of hilltop villages, vineyards and lavender fields, Provence is easily one of France’s most captivating regions. Several of the country’s ‘Plus Beaux Villages’ (Most Beautiful Villages) can be found in the Luberon, including Ménerbes, the setting for Peter Mayle’s much-loved novel, A Year in Provence, and gorgeous Gordes, arguably the scenic queen of the Luberon’s hilltop villages. Just outside Gordes and a half-hour drive from Coquillade Provence is the incredibly picturesque Sénanque Abbey, whose famed lavender fields are among the most photographed in France. Away to the east is another of Provence’s most picturesque regions, the Pays de Fayence, home to hotel Terre Blanche and a number of captivating hilltop villages, including Bagnols-en-Forêt, Callian, Fayence and Montauroux. Lying between the two is the spectacular Verdon Gorge, where you can kayak, raft or fly by helicopter up Europe’s largest canyon.